Making large scale community water enhancement projects a reality

Abstract

This report has been written to convey the experiences that I have enjoyed and the
lessons I have learned in eight years involvement in large scale community water
enhancement project promotions. In the early 80's with the major government reforms, promoters' of irrigation were left
on their own with government assistance totally withdrawn. This period saw
development ease until the mid 90's when the first two true community water
enhancement schemes were built. They were the 11,000 Waimakariri and the Opuha
Dam Scheme, the latter of which I have been involved as a director of the irrigation
company since 1994. This report gives a full outline of the physical and financial structure of this scheme,
the tradeable water shares which were a first with this scheme, and the problems we
had in attaining farmer up-take and how that was dealt with. Now that Opuha is fully subscribed, farmers are looking for more water. The Aoraki
Water Trust was established 2 years ago, of which I am Deputy Chairman. We are
looking at the feasibility of bringing water from Lake Tekapo by gravity over Burkes
Pass and distributing into five river catchments. The lessons learnt from Opuha are being put to full use in dealing with the Aoraki
scheme. This report gives a good outline of these.... [Show full abstract]